One question that all parents of mixed race/heritage children will eventually ask is “which languages should I teach my children?” Even though the topic has been discussed numerous times, it remains a hot topic especially as every family’s situation is different. Factors such as language(s) spoken by parents, grandparents and other caregivers, the primary language used in the country of residence, the language used in education etc can all affect the decision. The decision becomes even harder when neither parent speaks the heritage language, and the only remaining speakers are grandparents.
There are other factors to consider too:
Will the child use it often enough to pick up? Will they forget it once they grow up due to lack of exposure? Should they focus on a more commonly spoken language instead such as Chinese or French?
One of the main issues I’m facing is if it’s worth investing time and money into teaching my child a heritage language that they may never use. All of these questions caused me to start looking for resources. The main issue with learning heritage languages is that you tend to be removed from the country/region where the language is spoken and therefore you lack exposure and resources to learn it.
If the heritage language is widely spoken, the child can easily learn it by themselves when they grow up if they feel inclined to. However, if the heritage language is a language that is endagered, or in decline, there is a feeling of obligation to teach the child their heritage before it becomes lost forever…
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